1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transceiver modules for use with transceiver cages.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optoelectronic transceivers are utilized to interconnect circuit cards of communication links and other electronic modules or assemblies. Various international and industry standards define the type of connectors used to interface computers to external communication devices such as modems, network interfaces, and other transceivers. A well-known type of transceiver module developed by an industry consortium and known as a Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC) provides an interface between a computer and an Ethernet, Fiber Channel, or other data communication environment. U.S. patents identified under issued U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,879,173, 5,864,468, 5,734,558, 5,717,533, and U.S. Pat. No. Re 36,820, originally assigned to Methode Electronics, Inc, and now assigned to Stratos Lightwave, both in Chicago, Ill., disclose pluggable transceiver modules. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,879,173, 5,864,468, 5,734,558, 5,717,533, and U.S. Pat. No. Re 36,820 are hereby incorporated by reference.
It is desirable to miniaturize transceivers in order to increase the port density associated with the network connection (switch boxes, cabling patch panels, wiring closets, computer I/O, etc.). Various standards are known that define form factors for miniaturized electronic devices, such as the Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) standard that specifies an enclosure 9.8 millimeters in height by 13.5 millimeters in width and having a minimum of 20 electrical input/output connections. The specific standards for SFP transceivers are set forth in the “Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) Transceiver Multisource Agreement (MSA),” dated Sep. 14, 2000, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
In order to maximize the available number of transceivers per area, multiple SFP transceivers modules are generally arranged in rows and columns. Each SFP transceiver module is plugged into a socket or receptacle. These sockets or receptacles are generally stacked to maximize the number of available transceiver modules per allotted area. In such stacked configurations, a release mechanism is necessary to remove a transceiver module from within a receptacle. The release member generally is located on the bottom and embedded behind the face of the transceiver module. A special tool or probe must be inserted into a small slit on an external face of the transceiver module in order to access and depress the release mechanism. The requirement of a tool for removing the transceiver module is not only inconvenient, but also prevents an operator from removing a transceiver module if he or she does not have a tool at the appropriate time. The requirement of a tool results in increased installation cost and/or repair time.
One attempt to provide a pluggable transceiver module having a release mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,053 to Peterson et al. However, the mechanism described in this patent employs a delatch mechanism that is relatively difficult to manufacture and is relatively fragile in construction.
Accordingly, there is still a need for a better pluggable transceiver module having a release mechanism that is easily accessible to an operator and does not require any tools to operate.